A New Estate - Crimson Peak

Chapter Fifteen

Robert set the now empty cup atop the bedside table and turned back towards me.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, his eyes full of concern.

"Tired," I laughed in response, albeit a little half heartedly.

He too let out a withered huff of a laugh, "After today's excitement that is no surprise."

"I suppose not."

I stared at the hands resting in my lap, revisiting the events of the day.

The body remained in the attic above our heads.

Nathaniel had left with George, a stick of a man that held a surprising amount of strength in his tanned arms, to head out to the nearest post office with a letter I had written to Father, urging him to inform the police of the discovery here.

If they crossed paths with any form of authority during their travels, then David had instructed them to seek their help too.

"Get the whole damn town here if you have to," he had grunted.

David had also informed the remaining five men to cease work on that side of the manor, not wanting to disturb the remains anymore than they had, claiming to have too much respect for the dead to mess with their graves.

Robert had taken it upon himself to watch over me whilst Alexander, Ben and Hille worked on moving the needed tools and material to the other side of the scaffolding.

China lay at the end of the bed, her head rested on my shins as she slept, like a canine protection blanket.

"I don't know what do," I mumbled, still staring at my hands whilst lacing and unlacing my fingers.

"You can only keep pushing forward," Robert smiled as reassuringly as he could. "Of course you'll be in shock, but once they have come and removed the body you can try to continue on forward as normal as possible."

"Normal feels so far away at this moment."

"Of course it does, but you'll be amazed at how quickly it shall return."

I smiled gratefully, though I wasn't confident in the strength of it.

If Robert noticed how uncertain it felt to me then he made no comment on it, instead he put his hand over my left one which was still rested on my lap and gave it a gentle rub with his thumb.

"Let's say," he began whilst standing from the bed and making his way around to the other side of the room, "that I take your mind off things and read to you."

He picked up the book I had placed on the small table by the window, turning it over in his hands as he walked back to his seat at the bedside.

His gaze stayed fixed on the book as he flicked through the pages, a wistful expression rested on his face as his fingers grazed the edges.

"You know, I didn't always want to work in construction."

"Oh?" I implored with a curious look.

"No," he huffed out a laugh and glanced my way from the corner of his eye, "I did want to write."

"Really? And what stopped you? If you don't mind my asking."

"It's nothing too personal, I just can't write," he shrugged, seeming a little sheepish.

My eyes widened at the sudden revelation and my cheeks flush at forcing it out of him.

"You can't?" I gasped.